Trom Eayrs named Best Lawyer in America

The prestigious law career of a former Dodge County woman has earned her the honor of being named one of the “Best Lawyers in America.”

Sonja Trom Eayrs, an attorney with the Minneapolis-based law firm Lindquist & Vennum, picked up the coveted legal honor last week.

“Best Lawyers in America” is a peer-review source for legal referrals with its annual compilation of leading lawyers from across the nation. It was founded in 1983 and is published in 70 countries and all 50 states.

The Best Lawyers database highlights the top 5 percent of practicing attorneys in the United States. The core mission of Best Lawyers is to highlight the top legal talent in America.

“It is one of those coveted legal awards,” Trom Eayrs said. “For any of us when you work hard, it’s nice to be recognized for your work. This was unexpected and has been a thrill for me.”

Trom Eayrs grew up on a farm on the south end of Dodge County in Westfield Township and graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1977. She graduated from Carleton College in Northfield and obtained her law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1989.

In her practice, Trom Eayrs specializes in family law and to serving individuals whose cases involve significant holdings, business valuation, property settlement, support issues, custody and prenuptial agreements. She has advised on numerous dissolution proceedings with asset values ranging from $1 million to more than $200 million.

She has been granted fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a distinction shared by only a few attorneys in Minnesota. She is also a trained mediator.

Trom Eayrs said she has found a true passion for practicing family law over her nearly 30 years in the profession.

“I love my clients and I love the challenge as every case is different,” she said. “It’s truly rewarding work because you are taking someone through an extremely challenging time in their life.”

Divorce, she said, forces people to stop and think about what’s important to them.

“It’s a time of reflection for people as they stop to assess their personal lives,” Trom Eayrs said.

Hope is something Trom Eayrs attempts to provide clients in her dealings with them.

“For anyone who has been through a divorce, it’s an extremely painful process that cuts to the core,” she said. “There are a lot of dark days for anyone in that situation. It’s important to give them hope and to ensure them that they are going to be OK.”

Throughout the years, Trom Eayrs has tried to bring a “small town human approach” to her practice.

“I’m grateful that I grew up on a farm and in a small town,” she said. “You learn a lot of basic values that are so important and ones that we are losing. We are all bound together by care, compassion and community.”

“I have dealt with extremely wealthy clients, and the lesson I learn every day is that money does not make you happy,” she added.

Trom Eayrs said she knew since she was 13 years old that she wanted to practice law.

“You get to use your head and your heart, particularly in the family law field,” she said.

She has gained notoriety around the Dodge County area over the past four years by challenging hog feedlots near her parents’ farm. Trom Eayrs also founded Dodge County Concerned Citizens, a group fighting big agriculture by tackling water and air quality issues.